Ramentic
by IdrianWatzon
Summary: She wasn't a stalker, she simply watched him from a distance without his knowledge.
1. Good Night

**Ramentic**

-- Thirty kisses challenge #24, good night

She loved to watch him sleep.

Granted, she wasn't a stalker. She didn't stand by his window and stare at him all night long. She didn't breathe heavily and compare his hair to gold or look creepy or anything of that sort. She simply watched him whenever she was lucky enough to be assigned on a mission with him.

It didn't happen often, and the missions hardly ever lasted longer than a day. But on rare occasion, they had no choice but to hitch a tent for the night. It was nights like those when she enjoyed being who she was, being a Hyuuga.

Kiba grunted and rolled over, startling Hinata in her seat. She glanced at him, waiting anxiously for his loud snoring to resume. It didn't take long, but the passing seconds meant less time could be spent watching her beloved Naruto-kun.

Watching, not staring.

She turned her eyes back to his slowly rising and falling chest. It was interesting to watch Naruto sleep. Usually, his eyes were squinted shut and a large, infectious grin covered his face. But when he was asleep, his face looked unruffled, almost serene. He seemed more mature and more handsome.

She loved him when he was loud and cheerful, but she also loved him when he was like this, though he might never know it.

Hinata was grateful to the sleeping arrangements. She had been placed right beside Naruto. Closer than ever before, she listened to the soft snores that sounded quietly. Each one drew her closer to his face.

She startled herself when she traced a finger over one of his cheeks. She traced each of the three scars he had and sighed to herself. She wanted so much to tell him how she felt, but it was impossible. She would never be able to gain the courage to voice her thoughts, especially when he had feelings for someone else.

Hinata's eyes travelled past Naruto's half-parted lips to the sleeping young woman beside him. Sakura was beautiful, confident, and smart. Hinata knew she could never compete with someone so outgoing, so perfect.

She began to yawn, and realized that it was time to try and sleep.

Swallowing, Hinata brushed her hair from her face and leaned over Naruto. With a half-smile, she whispered quietly, "Good night, Naruto-kun."

Her lips brushed against his lightly, "Sleep tight."

-- Short, simple, hopefully a little enjoyable. I figured I'd do the thirty kisses challenge on my own for my thirtieth fanfic.


	2. 10

**Ramentic**

-- Thirty kisses challenge #10, #10

Sakura and Ino could talk for ages about absolutely nothing, and still not make their point. They could ramble about boys and flowers and boys and fashion and boys and hair and boys. . . It had gotten to the point that Hinata would just sit around and pretend to listen.

But on one fine afternoon, their conversation took a turn.

"Hey, Hinata," Sakura began, leaning her chin on her palm, "You like Naruto, right?"

Hinata knew immediately that she was blushing, "W-why do you a-ask?"

"So you do?" Ino demanded.

The quiet girl wasn't exactly sure what to say. It was rather obvious she adored Naruto. She even loved him. But to admit such a fact out loud. . . ? That was more difficult than she originally imagined.

"She does. She has to," Sakura finally concluded, smirking rather devilishly. "But you haven't told him. And knowing Naruto, he's too dense to notice."

"Ooh! Then you have to tell him," Ino squealed and grasped Hinata's hand, "You _must_ tell him."

"I-I don't know. . ." shy as she was, Hinata knew she couldn't come right out and tell Naruto her feelings. It was bad enough she could barely admit them to herself.

"We can help you!"

And so, operation TNT came into plan.

"Why exactly are we calling it that?" Sakura asked as the three huddled around the planning table.

"Tell Naruto the Truth," Ino snapped. She then pointed to a spot on the large map, declaring, "This is where Hinata will be. Ichiraku's."

"Right, 'cuz Naruto goes there, like, every day," Sakura supplied, nodding her support.

"G-guys, really, you sh-shouldn't do th-this."

"Sh, we're only trying to help."

The plan was simple. Hinata would wait at Ichiraku's. The other two girls would spy from a distance, all while informing the ramen owner of their plan. If all went well, Naruto would sit beside Hinata and strike up conversation. It was expected, as he seemed to always have an itch for talking. The rest of the plan would be left for Sakura and Ino's arranged coincidental accidents.

"A-are you s-sure?" Hinata whispered, fingering the hem of her jacket nervously.

"As anything," Sakura patted the shoulder of the shy girl, smiling. "Don't worry so much. Naruto's a nice guy, you're a cute girl, it'll work out."

So Hinata was found seated at Ichiraku's with a bowl of pork ramen before her and a pair of chopsticks to boot. She had barely taken her second bite when a piercing voice interrupted her temporary silence.

"Oi, two miso ramens, a chicken, and a pork," Naruto ordered, grabbing the seat on Hinata's left. She stiffened in surprise, suddenly unprepared for what the girls had planned. She didn't even know what the so-called accidents were supposed to be.

"Hey, Hinata-chan," he greeted, nudging her in the side.

"H-hi, Naruto-kun," she responded, blushing at his already-too-close proximity.

He was given his first ramen, and time passed by as he ate. Hinata also enjoyed her meal, happy to be able to eat with her favorite person. After awhile, Naruto slowed down and began to chat away about missions and Sasuke and such.

Hinata found his voice soothing. She found his stories more interesting than anything Sakura or Ino had said. She found herself in a trance, only capable of watching his mouth move and laughing quietly at his funny jokes.

"You know, Hinata-chan, I never realized it before, but you're kinda cute," he burst out, his eyes gazing down on her. Hinata stared at him, unable to believe what she had just heard. She gapped, trying to form the words to say her thank you, to say anything. Nothing seemed to work right anymore. She felt herself starting to panic.

"You okay?" Naruto broke through her thoughts, his hand shaking her shoulder gently.

With a short gasp, Hinata jerked away, tumbled off the stool, and landed on her back. The half-empty bowl of ramen splashed all over her and the chopsticks scattered.

Naruto was at her side in an instant, his arm around her shoulders in an attempt to hold her up from the floor. But his face neared hers and a small chuckle escaped his lips.

"Naw, you're not pretty," he started, and for a moment Hinata felt her heart snapping. Then his nose brushed her nose, his mouth touched her mouth, and he whispered, "You're beautiful."

She needed to fix her shirt. She needed to wipe ramen out of her hair. She needed to stop embarrassing herself in front of all the other customers and stand up already.

But after the tenth kiss, Hinata found that she didn't care anymore.

"Hey, Ino?"

"Hm?"

"I don't think Hinata needs our help anymore. . ."

"Yeah, I think she's getting more action than either of us ever have. . ."

-- Maybe a little enjoyable? At least?


	3. RadioCassette Player

**Ramentic**

-- Thirty kisses challenge #14, radio-cassette player

Music was the next best thing after ramen, Naruto believed.

When he wasn't shoveling away his favorite delicacy or practicing with his teammates, he was in the comfort of his home with the sound of his radio. Hours were spent listening to the stations, picking the best tunes, and singing along loudly. Every song made him feel more relaxed. Every instrument made his heart thump to the beat. Every lyric brought about feelings he secretly wanted to admit.

But all good things must come to an end, and eventually the speakers blew out. Naruto was humming along joyously, his eyes closed and his head rested against the pillows on his bed when suddenly, an odd screeching overtook the melody. Sitting up, the wide-eyed young man was only been able to stare in horror as the old, trusty friend that had been with him since he was a child began to smoke.

And on a hot day in the middle of the summer, Naruto was forced to go shopping.

He trudged through the streets of Konoha, trying to find the best place to buy a new radio. Of course, he had no clue what a good radio was anymore, and he certainly didn't know if he'd find a cheap one or not. But without the music he loved, Naruto knew he wouldn't be able to go on.

Ramen and music, music and ramen.

His life was simple, but he needed the two things that helped run it.

"N-Naruto-kun?" a small voice broke through his thoughts like a kunai through skin. The poor, depressed fellow blinked and turned to the side. His gaze fell upon the quiet Hinata, who seemed as strange as usual with her red cheeks.

"Hey, Hinata-chan!" he greeted, slapping on a grin to hide his inner despair.

The young woman stared back, her head tilted back to gain full view of his face. She licked her lips, "A-are you alr-right, Na-Naruto-kun?"

He was a little thrown off by how swiftly she noticed his unease.

"Ah, I'm fine. I just need to get a new radio. Mine broke this morning. . ." he paused, considering an idea before gripping her shoulders and asking, "Hey, would you help me find one?"

She swayed a little under his grip, her cheeks flushing more as she nodded, "I-if you'd l-l-like."

"Great!" Naruto paused and frowned, "Do you know where they sell radios?"

"I-I might," Hinata smiled, an innocent look that made him think for a moment that she was cuter than Sakura. But he shook the thought from his head and allowed her to lead the way. A radio was much more important than Sakura.

They wandered about curiously until Hinata pointed at a small vender, "I-I think we sh-should look over there. That's w-where I got my radio-cassette p-player."

"A radio-cassette player?"

"Y-yeah, so y-you can listen to cer-certain music whenever you w-want," she looked down, her fingers poking together, "It's f-fun."

Naruto watched her in awe; the concept of picking whatever music he wanted was a marvelous idea.

"Naruto-kun?"

"Let's buy one!" he ordered, dragging his partner by her hand to the vendor. Thirty minutes later and he had a brand new, shining radio along with a few cassettes that the two had picked out.

"Y-you can borrow some fr-from me, if you'd like," Hinata suggested. They were walking towards Ichiraku's. Naruto had offered her ramen in thanks for helping him out.

"That'd be awesome!" he pumped his fist and glanced down at the bag he was carrying, "I can't wait to try everything out."

Hinata giggled, "It should be fun!"

Later, Naruto placed the specific cassette that Hinata had bought him in his new player. The first song was "Kiss From a Rose" by Angela Aki. He listened to it all night, thinking in the back of his mind what to give Hinata in return.

-- This one was random and not very well done. . . But I wanted to bring up the point that kisses don't have to be directly on the lips. Of course, the only song I could think of off the top of my head wasn't exactly the best idea (though I do love the song myself!). Oh well. I never said my short stories had to be good.


	4. Jolt!

**Ramentic**

-- Thirty kisses challenge #3, jolt!

"I-I'm not a s-st-stalker! I-I-I swear! I d-didn't mean t-to a-ap-p-pe–" Hinata stuttered her last and shamefully burst into tears. She collapsed, covered her face, and began to sob. She didn't care that she looked like a baby. She didn't care that she was tarnishing her family name. She only knew that she had embarrassed herself in front of the one she loved more than anyone, and it was worse than anything she had ever gone through before.

Her cheeks flamed a bright red and her bottom lip swelled up from being bitten. She had trained earlier that morning, so her knees were scuffed, her jacket was covered in a light layer of dirt, and her cheeks were smudged. She looked more like a wreck than the heir to a grand clan.

"Stalker?" the one to whom she had spoken remained clueless, his eyebrows knit in puzzlement as he took in the full form of her cowardice.

Hinata wailed and closed her eyes tightly, hoping to forget that she was humiliating herself before Uzumaki Naruto, the one she had the likelihood of saying she loved.

"I never said you were a stalker . . ." Naruto trailed off, cringing at her cries of shame. Unbeknownst to him, Hinata had indeed been tailing him. She had in fact been acting more like a stalker than ever before. She had spotted him at the river and had surprised even herself when she didn't leave right away or faint at his naked torso.

After that, she had followed him to his house, where he had changed into dry shorts and a black t-shirt. Then, she had shadowed him to Ichiraku's, in which he took his time consuming seven and a half bowls of his favorite Miso Ramen. Finally, she had pursued him past the park, past the hospital, past everything, to the Hokage monument.

That was where she had been caught, hiding atop the third Hokage's hair.

"Hey," Naruto stopped and rubbed the back of his head, unsure how to talk to the bawling girl at his feet. His eyebrows furrowed as he considered what to do, before an idea hit him.

Kneeling, he grasped one of her hands and pulled it away from her tear-streaked face, "Since you're up here already, wanna see something?"

She sniffled, hiccupped, and covered her eyes with her free arm.

"Come on, Hinata, don't cry," he pleaded in return, reaching for her other hand. Once he had both hands in his own, he pulled her to her feet and grinned sheepishly, "Well? You coming with me?"

She stared at him, her pearly eyes half-closed and cloudy.

"Okay!" he pulled her along, walking backwards across the fourth's head. Hinata chewed on her bottom lip, suddenly realizing that he still had both of her hands in his own and that he was extremely warm.

"The fourth is great, you know," Naruto chatted on, staring directly at Hinata in hopes that she would cheer up soon. "He's my favorite."

"N-N-Naruto . . ." she tried to say more, but her voice failed her. She had never held anyone's hands before, and she found it quite pleasant.

So entranced by his proximity and warmth, Hinata barely noticed when Naruto took too far a step back without looking and slipped off the edge of the monument, dragging her along with him. A short scream burst from her throat as she closed her eyes, forgetting in the moment that she was a ninja, and that she could easily save herself. But the most frightening part was when Naruto's hands disappeared.

For a full second, Hinata felt nothing. She vaguely wondered what was happening, but dared not open her eyes. And then she was embraced by warmth. Her hair flew from her face and she felt blood rush quickly to her head.

"You okay?" Naruto's voice breathed against her neck. She reacted by grabbing him, clinging to him out of fear of falling.

They were dangling upside down, Naruto's feet barely having reached the Fourth's nose in time. Hinata buried her face in his shoulder, her heart racing.

"Sorry, Hinata, I wasn't looking," he stated the obvious, his laughter shaking her as well.

"P-please," she whispered, still scared that he would drop her.

"Ah, gimme a second," one of his hands left her shoulder, and she tightened herself against him.

It took ten minutes for them to work out climbing back to the top, as Naruto had to carry the devastated Hinata the whole way. When he at last sat safely from the edge and released her, she found she couldn't let go. She stayed wrapped around him, hidden in her humiliation.

"We're safe now, Hinata," he spoke, patting her shoulder reassuringly.

She squeaked, but didn't move.

"Hinata?"

"Please," she repeated.

So they sat there, Hinata trying to regain her nerves, Naruto trying to figure out what was wrong. It was another hour before she shakily released her hold and took a shuddering gasp of air.

"I-I'm sorry," she started.

"It's my fault. I shouldn'ta scared you like that," he chuckled and pointed out over the monument, down at the village. "I was just gonna show you how cool it is to see everything from up here. But it's even cooler now that the sun's starting to set."

Hinata opened her mouth to gasp. It was already that late? She'd been following Naruto for seven hours? How long had they been on the monument? _How long had she actually been in his arms for?_

So many questions, but all were forgotten when she gazed out at Konoha. It was lovely, like a dream; a dream of sitting right beside Naruto during a beautiful sunset.

She gasped, "I-It's gorgeous."

"I know."

Little did she know he wasn't looking at the sunset.

-- I apologize. I haven't posted in ages. But I've been so busy, what with school and work. So please forgive me. Please.


	5. Red

**Ramentic**

-- Thirty kisses challenge #19, red

She tasted blood.

It was not a sweet taste, nor a disgusting taste, simply a taste that reminded her she was biting her lip too hard. It hurt.

"Ouch!"

Hinata brought her hand to her mouth and relaxed her jaw, spitting a bit of the red liquid onto her fingertips. It looked pretty as it dribbled across the tiny cracks of her skin.

But oh, she shouldn't be thinking about her fingers, or her numb tongue. Her father had requested another suitor.

"Are you alright, Hinata-chan?"

This one in particular was frustrating. He knew how to strike up a conversation, but he did not know his place. He already figured himself friendly enough to call her by her first name, and to hold her hand so he could examine if she was injured, and to stare her straight in the eyes.

It wasn't that she didn't dislike him. He just reminded her of the reason she hated her father's idea of marriage.

"I-I'm fine," she covered her hand with a handkerchief and swallowed the remaining flavor left in her mouth. She would turn him down just as she had the others.

Now they were walking along the streets of Konoha. It would have felt normal except that Hinata was wearing one of her nicest kimonos and the person beside her wasn't Kiba or Shino.

"Hinata-chan, would you care to enjoy the park with me?" Ichimaku spoke kindly, but she didn't trust him. She was the heir to one of the grandest clans in Konoha. Any man in his right mind would find a marriage with her to be most beneficial.

Except one man.

"Could we perhaps . . ." she trailed off, her gaze caught by a nearby vender. "Actually, I would prefer having something to eat, if you don't mind."

"Not at all," he glanced around, not taking notice of what she was watching. "What sorts of restaurants are around here?"

"Not a restaurant," she hesitated, but continued, "I'd like some ramen."

He appeared doubtful, another reason to turn down his proposal, but she would hear no objections. She wanted some chicken ramen, and she didn't care that he found it distasteful.

They sat at the counter, Hinata careful not to rip her outfit, Ichimaku careful not to touch anything.

Hinata ordered easily. She had eaten there many times before with Kiba and Shino. It was one of her favorite places.

When her steaming bowl was set before her, Hinata cheerfully snapped her chopsticks and began to enjoy. She ignored the twitchy man beside her and instead enjoyed her meal like it was yesterday, like she had just finished a difficult mission and was ready for relaxation and calm.

A voice stopped her in her tracks.

"Four miso ramen and two chicken!"

She nearly choked when she glanced to her left and saw him sitting next to her. He noticed her in return and grinned, "Hey, Hinata-chan!"

"H-hello, Naruto-kun."

She was swept up in his chatter after that, only able to pay attention as he prattled on. The ramen sat forgotten on the counter.

"And guess what? I totally kicked Chouji's butt when we were training! He used that really big jutsu of his and I used my shadow clones and–"

Naruto was silenced when Ichimaku gathered the courage to place his hand on Hinata's shoulder, "We should really head to the park, Hinata-chan."

She didn't want to go. She wanted to stay and listen to Naruto's stories.

But she knew she would have to go.

So Hinata slowly, with a small sigh, rose from her seat. Naruto's own hand stopped her.

"But she doesn't look like she wants to go," babbled the bright young man. He stared at her, his eyes piercing her through.

"We must. She needs an escort home, after all," responded the unwanted suitor. Hinata found herself caught. Naruto wanted her to stay with him, and that was why he was holding her arm. Her head felt a little light.

"I can take her home, then," Naruto finally stated.

Ichimaku looked at more of a loss for words than Hinata felt. He went to protest, but found himself incapable as the fast-paced Naruto began to tell his stories again.

She didn't want to ignore the poor man, but she didn't want to miss out on the next Hokage's greatest training tales. So she did the best thing. She picked up her chopsticks and ate.

A few moments passed where Ichimaku stood awkwardly behind her, but at last he admitted defeat and trudged away. Hinata didn't care, though.

Sometime later, when Naruto was done with his six bowls, he pointed his chopsticks towards Hinata's abandoned remains, "Can I?"

She nodded and started to pass the bowl down when her heart skipped a beat at a possible idea. Using all the bravery she could muster, and feeling rather nice while wearing such a fancy outfit, she decided to pretend they were on a date.

She loaded her chopsticks with ramen and held them out for him. He glanced at her in confusion, registered what she meant, and happily chomped on the ends of the sticks, nibbling the noodles off. Hinata blushed and giggled. She herself took another bite of the noodles, almost as if to satisfy the demon inside her that demanded she take action.

Because really, what she had just done was almost like an indirect kiss.

-- I realize that my last story, jolt!, didn't actually include a kiss; quite the mistake on my part. But if you wanna be corny, you could say that it was like Naruto gave her a kiss through the setting sun. Or something like that. Anyway, I'm being slow with updating. Sorry.


	6. Perfect Blue

**Ramentic**

-- Thirty kisses challenge #15, perfect blue

She couldn't look at him, not up close.

That was because when she stood near him, she could just about feel his warmth, his breathing. She could imagine the infectious grin always stretched across his cute face and sense the mile-high pride he boasted of all of the time.

But most of all, she could see his perfect blue eyes, twinkling in the sunlight. She needn't look directly at him, for she felt embarrassed enough to have memorized how they shined, how they showed everything he felt, how they genuinely made him the innocent young man he was.

Because that was Naruto; too dense to notice anything but a good fight, too straight-minded to worry about concerns delving deeper than punch this way, punch that way, and too stupid to realize someone actually liked him. He was more powerful than anyone in the village, and thicker than a two-foot wide concrete slab.

So Hinata continued as she was, staring from a distance, fainting up close, and daydreaming about an impossible future.

She hardly took the time to make him notice her, for she believed he had more important things to worry about. The revival of the village, becoming a high-level ninja, gaining the title of Hokage, winning over Sakura's love . . .

She shook her head to rid herself of the sad, sad, sad thoughts. Naruto deserved to be the happiest man in Konoha, and if that meant loving someone else, then so be it. It wasn't Hinata's choice to pick his girlfriend.

But when Naruto started dating – truly dating – Hinata felt her heart twist in jealousy. He went out with all sorts of girls, from ninja to baker's daughters to teachers. She could hardly believe how flirtatious he seemed to have become; it was probably because he didn't have to worry about any sudden attacks from any dangerous organizations.

Girl after girl came and went, most hardly lasting longer than a few days. Hinata was a little disgusted and ashamed. She hadn't imagined him to act like such a player.

But each girl he went for became more sophisticated, each having a higher family standing than the last. Hinata watched and researched, curious as to why he was now picky and choosy. She hardly suspected him to turn to her for her status, of course. She was a Hyuuga, but she wasn't anything special.

Still, she wondered. Perhaps he was headed for a Hisame girl, or a Makoto, or possibly a Yatami.

Then the day came when Hinata was eating at Ichiraku's, enjoying a bowl of miso ramen, and Naruto strode in with someone Hinata didn't recognize. She glanced at them briefly, memorized the unknown's face, and turned back to her food, grudgingly more depressed than when she had entered.

His loud laugh broke her thoughts, and she clenched her chopsticks. She should have known not to enter Naruto's favorite place, not when he was on the prowl for every Konoha hottie.

"Hey, Hinata-chan!"

She stopped breathing.

"H-hi, N-Naruto-kun . . ." She muttered, showing little enthusiasm in her greeting. He seemed to notice her downfallen attitude, and sat right beside her as if to try cheering her up – little did he know she felt the exact opposite.

The brunette sat on his other side, looking disappointed; whether in the food choice or the company, Hinata did not know.

Their orders were made, and Naruto's attention strayed to his first company, causing Hinata to grow more depressed. She stiffly ate another noodle and sighed to herself. She would finish her meal, then she would leave as fast as possible.

The date going on didn't seem to be going well, however, and she felt inclined to stay long after she was full. Naruto had asked if the brunette was done with her shrimp topping. She said yes, and he made to take them from the side of her bowl. She didn't like that idea, mumbled a solid, "No," and hurriedly pulled her bowl away, instantly sloshing the warm liquid over her front.

Naruto apologized profusely, but the damage had been done. She stood, slapped him across the face – which was completely unneeded – and stomped from the stand.

Naruto stared after blankly. He slowly turned back to her leftovers and began to calmly munch on the shrimp, smirking to himself. His gaze turned to the staring Hinata.

"Funny, no?" he cracked a larger grin and shrugged, "Happens all the time. Nobody ever wants to share the leftovers. Kinda lame, if you ask me."

Hinata swallowed, glanced at her bowl, and smiled hesitantly, "Y-you can h-have my leftovers, Naruto-kun."

His face lit up even more, if that was possible, "Great! What kind did you order?"

He pulled the bowl over and sniffed it. She watched him finish the last of her ramen, almost in awe of her courage.

He gave her a thumbs up and nodded to his own bowl, "You can have some if ya' like."

She blushed, "Wh-what kind?"

"Chicken."

"Alright," she numbly reached out with her chopsticks and munched on the noodles, enjoying the taste.

A few minutes passed with him detailing her on his latest missions, which she listened carefully to. His voice soothed her, and she soon felt herself leaning her head on her palm and sighing.

"I'm not borin' you, am I?" Naruto asked in concern.

"Not at all," she smiled her best and pulled out her wallet to pay for her ramen.

A hand stopped her, "I can pay."

She stared in surprise as Naruto pulled out some money and handed it across the counter. When he turned back to her, she bowed her head and thanked him.

"No prob," he laughed and scratched his ear, as if thinking of something else to say. At last, "Want me to walk ya' home?"

The question surprised her, but with a red face, Hinata shook her head.

The walk home was filled with more story-telling, and when they reached the Hyuuga mansion, Hinata faced him with another set of thanks. She opened her mouth to speak, but stopped when his nose touched hers.

"Hinata-chan, would you go out with me?"

She gasped.

"Hinata?"

"Yes, Naruto-kun! I would love to!" she was surprised she didn't stutter. She was surprised she said yes so easily. She was surprised he asked her such a long-awaited question.

Naruto's shining eyes stared at her. He smiled, leaned down, and lightly brushed her lips with his.

"Tomorrow, then," he said, "Meet me for lunch at Ichiraku's."

He left her standing there, the feel of his mouth still on her lips, and the newest memory of his perfect blue eyes fluttering across her mind.

-- I realized far too late that this is yet another ramen setting. . . Oh well. But now I have to ask. It is obvious that romantic is spelled **ramen**tic for a reason, right? I certainly hope so. Again, sorry for the slow update.


	7. Candy

**Ramentic**

-- Thirty kisses challenge #23, candy

It was no secret that Naruto loved ramen. The whole village knew, and none of them bothered to keep him from that delicacy. It was also no secret that Hinata loved Naruto. The whole village knew, and none of them bothered to help the shy girl out. Because it was no secret that Naruto was oblivious. The whole village knew, and none of them bothered to think otherwise of him.

So when the blonde boy started wandering around with a large bag of candy, they became curious. Then they realized that he was just trying to gain a certain girl's attention, and they turned away. Nothing new came from Naruto's hopeless (and nonexistent) romance with a pink-haired kunouichi.

Sakura pulled up her nose and frowned at the sack, "Naruto, what are you doing with all of that . . . Junk?"

He merely grinned and handed her a lollipop.

"I don't want it," she griped, pushing his hand away.

"But it's good."

"No, Naruto, it's disgusting."

She was lying, he knew, because Sakura really liked lollipops. She had a secret stash in her bottom desk drawer.

"But Sakura . . ."

And yet, she knew that accepting his gift was a form of accepting his feelings, so, "No."

And once again, the whole village knew that it was useless. Naruto's love would always be more pathetic than Jiraiya's grovels for inspiration. It was common knowledge that Sakura had deep, passionate feelings for the village traitor, Sasuke.

Naruto was left alone, still holding a three-pound bag of candy.

"H-hello, Naruto."

He spun around, grinning, "Hey, Hinata."

Blushing, stuttering, and poking her index fingers together, Hinata lowered her eyes nervously.

"Want a lollipop?" Naruto shoved the very same piece of candy he originally tried to give Sakura beneath the quieter girl's nose.

She gasped and moved her mouth to reply, but out came nothing more than a squeak.

"You don't?" his shoulders fell slack along with his confidence. Rejected by two girls; a true horror of a thought.

"N-n-no, I'd l-l-love a l-lollipop," Hinata stumbled, gripping his fingers in hers before he could leave.

His expression brightened, "Really?"

A nod.

"Great!"

Still holding his hand, Hinata took the piece and unwrapped it carefully, shaking as she tasted its cherry flavor. Naruto watched her in awe.

"Any good?"

"Y-yes, w-would you like t-to try?"

He shook his head and leaned forward before either of them could think, licking the lollipop and grinning, "It _is_ good."

Hinata gasped.

They stood, watching each other with only the lollipop between them.

And Hinata, whether caught in the trance of the situation or something else entirely, lowered the cherry sweet just slightly and kissed him. She stepped back, her mouth hanging open.

He stared into her eyes, the sucker between them acting as a very blunt reminder of what had just happened.

"Did you . . ."

"I-I'm sorry," she let go of his hand and turned, intending to run far, far away.

But he grabbed her and turned her around, smiling, "You tasted better than the candy did, okay?"

Hinata became a tomato.

"Y-y-you did, too."

It was no secret now that Naruto and Hinata liked candy. The whole village knew, and none of them bothered to keep the blossoming couple from that pleasant enjoyment.

-- A little something-something I wrote in five minutes. No joke.


	8. The Space Between Dream and Reality

**Ramentic**

-- Thirty kisses challenge #6, the space between dream and reality

A dream.

No other explanation seems plausible.

A dream.

Of her and him, sitting on a park bench with his arm wrapped around her shoulders and his booming laugh echoing through her ears.

Unreal, untrue . . .

A dream.

"Hinata, this is great!" he rambles, tightening his hold of her.

She can feel his warmth, even with the fabric of their jackets separating them, and she is blushing. So close, so perfect, so . . .

"I love winter," he continues, reminding her of the snowy grounds and of her chilled breath.

A dream.

His eyebrows narrow in concentration as he stares behind her, then directly at her, "You know, the snow really suits you, Hinata."

"I-It does?"

"Yeah, it makes you look prettier than usual," he brings his free hand to her cheek, his eyes revealing feelings than seem too true to be real.

He is nearer than before, his mouth closing in on hers.

A dream.

"Can I kiss you?"

His question sparks surprise, but she makes no plans to deny him.

Her lips move.

"Y-yes, you c-can."

He moves forward, the distance shortening until she can feel his lips.

A dream.

-- It's been awhile. Oops. This is ultra short. Double oops. At least its an update, right?


End file.
